Alexander Copping

Sleep Deprivation and Its Consequences in Construction Workers

Sleep deprivation contributes to fatigue, which can have a profound effect on an individuals wellbeing, work performance, and safety. To investigate this phenomenon, a study was conducted on a sample of construction workers on a large construction project in Vancouver, Canada. This paper reports on the results from the workers wearing an actigraph 24 h/day for a full week to precisely measure their sleep and rest. The results enabled sleep efficiency and mental effectiveness levels to be determined by correlating them to blood alcohol concentration levels. This allowed determination of increased risk due to inadequate sleep. It was found that workers fell well under recommended sleep requirement guidelines of 8-h sleep per night, which resulted in an increase in risk of accident of 9%. Although further work is needed to better understand the coping mechanisms of fatigue and how the resulting fatigue factor could be measured and managed, this study indicates that workers in the construction industry suffer decrements in performance and are at higher risk of accident at home and work solely due to inadequate sleep.

Means of escape from fire

Means of escape -- the background New and altered buildings -- the statutory requirements Buildings in use -- the statutory requirements Means of escape -- general principles Means of escape -- principles in practice Dwellinghouses, flats and maisonettes Application to buildings other than dwellings Modification of the basic principles of means of escape New approaches 1: BS999: Part 1 Means of escape New approaches 2: Fire safety engineering Management of fire safety Appendix A Means of escape case study Appendix B Fire risk assessment case study

The Development of a Fire Safety Evaluation Procedure for the Property Protection of Parish Churches

Incidences of fires in churches are currently exceeding those in all other historic building types. This trend is destroying irreplaceable national treasures as England and Wales contains one of the greatest collections, in terms of number and antiquity, of ancient parish churches in the world. This paper describes the development of a decision making tool to aid the custodians of parish churches in evaluating the existing fire safety provision and in gauging the cost of upgrading fire safety for property protection exclusively. The principles behind the evaluation procedure are detailed and the mechanics of assessment demonstrated. The tool, referred to as Fire(SEPC) [Fire Safety Evaluation Procedure for the Property Protection of Parish Churches] is unique in its evaluation configuration in that an ‘acceptable level’ of fire safety is dependent on the vulnerability of the fabric and contents of individual churches.

Measuring fatigue-related impairment in the workplace

Purpose This research was founded on the premise that more can be done to help improve safety in the global construction industry. Worker fatigue-impairment may be an underlying cause or major contributor to accidents. Fatigue-impairment is believed to be pervasive in construction, and research has shown it can be as concerning as alcohol-impairment. When fatigue-impairment is acknowledged as existing, there is poor understanding of its severity or how it contributes to performance and accidents. The purpose of this research was to attempt to measure fatigue-impairment in real time. Design/methodology/approach This research expanded on actual measurements of fatigue-related impairment from workers on a large construction project displaying significant fatigue-related impairment. The research identified and tested possible techniques for real-time measurement solutions to assist with this safety-related issue. 100 participants had their sleep/wake cycles monitored for a month with an actigraph to derive their on-going mental effectiveness levels by the minute. The same participants took cognitive tests over the month to compare mental performance results to the modelled mental effectiveness levels. Findings Performance results from cognitive tests were compared with modelled mental effectiveness from actigraph-monitored sleep of 100 participants for a month each and showed significant correlation for all cognitive tests used. Practical implications This research showed that real-time surrogate measurements for fatigue-impairment in the workplace exist to assist organizations manage an important workplace hazard. Originality/value Derived from operational settings, this research developed predictive models based on simple, quick and inexpensive cognitive tests as screening techniques for workplace impairment and confirmed the need for and found a solution for fatigue monitoring in the workplace.

The Protection of Anglican Cathedrals from Damage by Fire: A Review Based on Insurance Data

Although cathedrals represent arguably the greatest contribution to our architectural heritage there is no legislation which controls measures to protect them from fire. Since the major fire at York Minster in 1984 the many cathedral authorities have undertaken varying amounts of work to prevent a similar tragedy, but there remain unprotected cathedrals and no consensus on further progress. Addresses the complex nature of cathedral buildings in fire safety terms along with the conflict inherent in introducing modern protective measures in structures of enormous historic and aesthetic quality. Examines data held by the leading insurer of cathedrals in England and Wales, the Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, and sets it alongside the authors′ own research to reveal a picture of great variation in methods and measures of fire protection, and a sense of the changes which are underway or can be expected in coming years. At a time when grant aid for English cathedrals has become available and may soon be extended to cover fire safety measures, provides timely information on financial issues, technical difficulties and fire management policies which lie at the centre of debate, and considers some of the issues which must be addressed.

Research data supporting: Minimising energy in construction: practitioners’ views on material efficiency

Data is from an online survey (hosted using Google Surveys). The data was generated by the users filling in the questions (36 questions for the survey and 9 about their background). Data was collected between 29 June and 10 October 2017.

Research data supporting the Report Survey of Structural Engineering Practice

Anonymised survey data for the Initial Findings of Survey of Structural Engineering Practice and associated publications from EP/P033679/2

The fall and rise of experiential construction and engineering education : decoupling and recoupling practice and theory

Abstract From the mid-20th C., construction and engineering pedagogy and curricula have moved from long-held traditional experiential apprenticeship approaches to one ostensibly decoupling practice and theory. This paper traces this decoupling and explores modern-day opportunities and challenges for recoupling university education with industry practice. Within this context the UK Government funds Graduate Level Apprenticeships (GLA) and introduces the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), arguably signalling a desire to recouple. Nevertheless, many challenges from following previous UK Government policy prioritising research remain, particularly for post-1992 institutions. Arguably, Higher Education Institutions (HEI’s) are at a pedagogical crossroads, considering whether to choose REF-ville, TEF-ville, and/or Apprentice Township. Do HEI’s continue their increasingly decontextualized theoretical approach, or re-embrace construction and engineering education’s experiential roots? We present and discuss opportunities and challenges currently facing HEI’s, aiming to help inform decisions regarding recoupling theory and practice in construction and engineering teaching and learning, but potentially also other fields.